Educational Tourism and Local Development: The Role of Universities

Abstract

On the basis of a scoping review of the literature about educational tourism—a type of tourism in which the traveller’s primary or secondary objective is learning—this study summarizes views on how Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can foster local development through educational tourism. The results show that international students can be considered as educational tourists, and their stay can benefit them and the destination. In this context, the university can actively facilitate relationships between tourists and local stakeholders to foster learning at the destination and improve the sustainability of the local economy; some reports about specific cases are described. We argue that the tourism component should be considered by any institution organising or managing educational programmes, in order to exploit the opportunities offered by the destination for the achievement of learning goals. More specifically, the paper focuses on educational tourism related to HEI students in international mobility programs, who are educational tourists inasmuch as their overall experience at the destination includes leisure and tourism activities. Further research is needed to formulate models of intervention.

Aspects Regarding Safety and Security in Hotels: Romanian Experience

“…We chose to study the perception of young people primarily because there is a gap in the literature and because more and more young Europeans travel outside their country for higher education, with student mobility being considered as a form of tourism (i.e., international academic tourism) [88,89]. Young tourists are very interested in the level of safety in both accommodation units and tourist destinations as a whole, so that their decision to travel depends greatly on how they perceive safety [90].…”

Motivational Facets, Edu-Tourist and Institutional Physiognomies, And Destination Selection Behaviour in An Augmented S-O-R Model: A Conceptual Review

“…Moreover, Kamb et al (2020) cited that tourists' destination selection is a more complex process that can be studied in various stages, including the decision to vacation, vacation decision abroad, and choose to a destination within a country. According to Tomasi, Paviotti, and Cavicchi (2020), the nations could be more successful if they could integrate the education and tourist industries as a pathway of international interaction and learning. Furthermore, Simkova and Holzner (2014) revealed in the criteria for selecting tourist destinations that the travel patterns of individuals are strongly linked to the psychological habits that may be used to assess the reasons that inspire people to travel and choose a specific destination.…”

“…These are among the factors identified for enhancing the quality of higher education institutions. Furthermore, student satisfaction in higher education can increase if the service culture of the university can meet the requirements of educational tourists (Tomasi et al, 2020). Thus, to sustain operations in highly competitive institutions, they must develop a positive reputation, maintain good service quality, enhance students' loyalty without eroding the existing students', and strengthen their alumni engagement.…”

Suitability Evaluation of Popular Science Tourism Sites in University Towns: Case Study of Guangzhou University Town

“…Therefore, campuses now emphasize the links among creativity, higher education, and urban life. These physical and functional links with the wider community and urban fabric can help improve the competitiveness, productivity, and cultural strength of a city [12,13] and should be considered before a university or university town is built. Some cities and their universities provide us with good examples, as shown in Table 1.…”